Unai Emery has been planning for the exit of No 1 Emiliano Martinez for the last two summers, and much detailed work has duly gone into sourcing his replacement.
The Midlanders have been in contact with Parma all summer about Zion Suzuki’s situation, keeping abreast of his proposed move to Paris Saint-Germain and then, last week, learning that it was on the brink of collapse.
They wasted no time in acting.
Although James Trafford, who has since joined Leeds, and Lens shot-stopper Robin Risser were strong options, Suzuki was always the preferred choice.
Villa believed the player’s preference, as he had stated with his Premier League ambition, was always to move to Villa Park.
Martinez had a strong campaign as Villa finished fourth, and he reached a World Cup final again with Argentina in July, but there has been concern around the 33-year-old’s late withdrawals last season (on four occasions, he pulled out in warm-ups).
A source with knowledge of many of the Villa players, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect their relationships, says the squad is impressed and enthused by his impending arrival.
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